With just four brick bungalows, and another on the way, Above Us Only Sky provides a higher level of comfort than its neighbours. The bungalows, with terracotta-tiled floors (which means you won’t fall on your rear as soon as you step out of the shower), are in better condition than the standard ones you’ll find elsewhere, and the price reflects it. Spotlessly clean and tastefully decorated,... Read our full review of Above Us Only Sky.

A highlight on Serendipity, The Cove’s wood and thatch bungalows on the hillside are tucked in between palm and banana trees providing a relaxed, jungly retreat. Each bungalow has a private balcony with a hammock, table and chair, all the better to take in those stunning sea views, and perhaps a cocktail or two from the bar below.
Time to unwind
If you’re craving a little more company, then... Read our full review of The Cove.

Hidden away in the trees at the western end of the beach, Cloud 9 is still one of the better value spots on Serendipity. The wooden bungalows are built on stilts into a hill, thus some have amazing ocean views from balconies slung with hammocks. The rooms are reasonably well maintained, en suite and spotless. The shoreside area has a pleasant restaurant and covered bar plus private sun-loungers.... Read our full review of Cloud 9.

Ochheuteal Beach

Ochheuteal Beach has a selection of hotels along a couple of roads that run parallel to the beach. Nothing is more then a five-minute walk from the water. The free accommodation, when available, is at the eastern end of the beach.

This place feels different from the moment you step into the bar/reception area, and then it just keeps getting better and better as it opens up to reveal a large, sprawling guesthouse with rooms arranged around a pretty little courtyard and garden.
The warmest of welcomes awaits
Ch0chi Garden only opened in mid-2014 after being taken over by an Italian/Japanese couple who met while living in... Read our full review of Chochi Garden.

Almost futuristic in its conception, it’s hard to imagine that One Stop Hostel is a hostel of any kind. Spotlessly clean white hallways surround a small, emerald pool, and lead to beautifully-designed dorms and bathrooms.
One Stop only required
It’s all so neatly and scrupulously arranged you feel the place may have been designed by a shipbuilder. The air-con dorms are also scrupulously... Read our full review of The One Stop Hostel.

With a genuine resort feel, despite being a 10-minute walk away from the beach, Beach Club Resort is a friendly, attractive place with comfortable rooms arranged around a wide pool where elegant thatch-roof cabanas provide shelter from the sun. The rooms all have the things you’d expect in a mid-range hotel, including air-con, flat screen TV, fridge/mini-bar and a safety box. The restaurant... Read our full review of Beach Club Resort.

Anytime you ask a question in Sihanoukville, the answer always seems to be Coolabah. Whether you want to know where to get a good meal around Serendipity, where to find good, comfortable reasonably-priced digs, where to hoover up tasty shakes, where to be surprised by good service, where to realise your epic quest for a decent coffee (they serve Illy), where to lose yourself in a small island of... Read our full review of Coolabah Hotel.

Monkey Republic is a high energy hostel whose lively bar is usually packed with guests and those in search of good food, fantastic music and an atmosphere that could tip over into a party anytime. The spacious, air-con dorms are clean with large personal lockers and hot water showers. The cabins were a little shabbier, and the fans looked a little shaky -- may be worth checking before agreeing to... Read our full review of Monkey Republic.

Reef Resort is an oasis of calm nestled among the backpacker hangouts on Serendipity Beach Road. Air-conditioned boutique-style tiled rooms are well-appointed and extremely clean in a way that only new buildings in the area can be, and include safety boxes. Bathrooms are pristine and have hot water. Ground floor rooms look onto the pool and have a small private terrace and rooms upstairs have... Read our full review of Reef Resort.

There’s a Mediterranean feel to this small, brand new guesthouse where spotlessly clean, well-decked out rooms offer fantastic value for money. The spacious, air-con rooms are simply decorated but elegant nonetheless, with white walls and terracotta-tiled floors, four poster beds and, in the main, attractive, appropriate furniture. The rooms also all have fridges, tea and coffee making... Read our full review of Tired Gecko.

So new we could still smell the paint when we visited, Johnson Beach Hotel is a little bit lacking in character but has great rooms for families on the move. The hotel interior is decorated in the typical Khmer style, namely too much dark-stained wood that makes you feel like the world is going to fall on your head. But the 60 square metre family suites are light, bright and comfortably... Read our full review of Johnson Beach Hotel.

Many travellers miss out on spotting Makara Bungalows thanks to its location, tucked down at the far end of Occheuteal beach, and its lack of advertising. It might be priced a touch above your average budget backpacker guesthouse, but it’s worth the extra few dollars if you’re looking to get away from the crowds.Pretty popular place.Not only is this one of the cheapest places in Sihanoukville... Read our full review of Makara Bungalows.

Part of the trend towards more upmarket hotels in Sihanoukville catering to couples, families and other visitors who want to combine comfort with travel, OC Hotel is not for the budget-conscious backpacker, but rather bridges the gap between that market and Sihanoukville’s Sokha Resort or Independence Hotel.
Billed as a boutique hotel, OC is actually a little too large for the label, with 66... Read our full review of OC Hotel.

Orchidee’s rooms span a sizeable budget spectrum. Their least expensive rooms are on the small side but still have en suite bathrooms, air-con and a small, sheltered terrace. As prices increase, rooms get newer and more spacious, with the best value ones encircling the deep blue pool. Those at the highest end of the range are newly built with private balconies and original art on the walls; at... Read our full review of Orchidee Guest House.

Despite the rather soulless exterior, Serendipity Beach Resort’s rooms are well tricked out, many with stunning views across the sea. It’s rather startling to step in to them from the empty, echoing lobby and characterless hallway but, compared to other places in the area these spacious rooms are really a steal for the price. Decorated to high standards in a contemporary style, the rooms... Read our full review of Serendipity Beach Resort.

Quirky and convenient, especially for island addicts, The Gypsies provides a warm welcome only metres away from the beaches and the ferry pier. With a six-bed dorm tucked away at the back of the building, and four en-suite rooms, The Gypsies makes no secret of the fact that the noise from the beach bars on Ochheuteal may be an issue (although the dorm may be better insulated than most places... Read our full review of The Gypsies .

The name may sound so laidback it sounds like an Aussie barbecue pit, but when you walk in the front of Mick & Craig’s you’ll notice that, yes, those are linen table cloths on the tables. And while the rest of the place is largely low-frills, details like the fact they serve Bon Cafe coffee show that they are paying attention; it is painfully difficult to get a decent coffee in Sihanoukville.... Read our full review of Mick & Craig’s Guesthouse.

Otres 1 Beach

At the northern end of Otres Beach, this stretch of sand is armed with a long row of beachside guesthouses and bars with a young, vibrant hippy feel to it. More mid-range, and upmarket, places are opening up, but it is still possible to score a dorm room for as little as $4, while the upper level resorts also offer amazing value for money.

Since opening at the end of 2011, Mushroom Point has become one of Sihanoukville’s hot spots, meaning that booking in advance is recommended even during low season. It actually has two locations, one ‘garden’ site and one beachside. The garden spot boasts big, round bungalows that look like thatch-roofed mushrooms. Inside, round beds complete the gently offbeat picture, offset by smart,... Read our full review of Mushroom Point.

Off the beach, Done Right is a Swiss/Canadian joint venture that prides itself on doing things in a slightly boozy, but very eco kind of way. They used beer cans to build their bar, beer bottles to build their walls and Bombay Sapphire bottles in their bathroom walls. The main feature is the geodomes that line the perimeter of the garden: igloo-like constructions that wouldn’t look out of place... Read our full review of Done Right.

For those suffering from an aversion to thatch, but still keen for a good deal, these clean, large rooms are done in a typical Khmer style — that is, simply, with remarkably shiny, slick tiled floors that can be lethal under wet feet if you don’t pay attention. They also have more comfortable mattresses than you’ll likely find in many of the more exotic offerings along the beach, and hot... Read our full review of Otres Beach Guesthouse.

Papa Pippo is the last beachside restaurant and guesthouse on Otres 1, with nine bungalows from which you can step from your bed straight out to the soft sand outside. The fan-cooled, thatch-roofed and clapboard-walled bungalows are rustic or romantic depending on your point of view, and each has a small terrace out front where you can enjoy your own outdoor space. French doors open straight out,... Read our full review of Papa Pippo Bungalows, Bar and Restaurant.

Part of the gentrification wave washing over Otres 1, Sahaa Beach is a beautiful resort with lots of carefully designed open space artfully dotted with redolent frangipani trees, widely spaced and spacious bungalows, a gorgeous long pool, and even a tiny little private beach (sort of). The air-con rooms are conceptually minimalist, with polished concrete floors and features, and sparkling white... Read our full review of Sahaa Beach Resort .

Sometimes you just walk into a place and fall in love, and you can’t really tell why and Wish You Were Here is one of the places that does that to you. There is a wonderfully chilled out vibe in the bar that greets you as you enter under a flowery bower and over a little waterway. It is not the kind of slumped atmosphere generated by those so stoned they make goldfish look gifted but just from... Read our full review of Wish You Were Here.

As the name suggests Indigo has a funky, though not hippy, vibe and comes with neatly tricked out thatch bungalows that lead straight out to the beach and a very sociable bar, which plays some really great low gear electronic music. Their marketing spiel says that it is a luxury resort; we wouldn’t go that far. The bungalows are simple, small and not brilliantly lit, like most of the bungalows... Read our full review of Indigo.

A wide property with a lot of space, Otres Lodge boasts an avenue of very pretty bungalows with air-con, hot water shower, TV and outside a swimming pool, bar, restaurant and volleyball court. The rooms are much larger than most of the bungalow-styled accommodation you’ll find on Otres 1, with terracotta-tiled floors, plastered sections on the walls and comfortable beds in a more stylish get-up... Read our full review of Otres Lodge.

At Otres Orchid, skip the rooms and choose one of the romantic bungalows set in a lush tropical garden complete with ponds and wooden bridges instead — they’re charming and come with a very reasonable price tag. You’ll find the room furnishings in the private bungalows rustic, but pleasant enough. They’re built from bamboo, which allows the breezes through helping to keep the rooms cool,... Read our full review of Otres Orchid.

Recently taken over by new owners who are working hard to raise standards, Sea Garden has beach bungalows and a dorm, with hot water shared bathroom, and a lot of attention being paid to important details like sockets that work and being able to switch off the lights from your bed. The rooms, like all thatch and wooden bungalows, are small, a little dark and simply furnished, but there is plenty... Read our full review of Sea Garden.

Otres 2 Beach

On the southern tip of the strand this the more mature end of Otres beach, even more laid back, but also more refined than its northern sibling. Impressive high-end hotels mix in with some really decent mid-range boutiques, all with access to the gorgeous, white, tree-lined sands.

A kind of bo-ho feeling resonates through Elephant Garden, which is a little bit hippy, but a little bit classy too. They offer a range of room styles, with thatch bungalows, Khmer-style wooden houses on stilts, and brick bungalows (fan and air-con) with private bathrooms. The rooms are simply decorated, although the bathrooms in the brick bungalows are finished to a high standard and look almost... Read our full review of Elephant Garden.

Mary Bungalows is almost at the beginning of Otres 2 road, and consists of the main accommodation buildings on the land side of the road, and a very comfortable bar and restaurant on the beach side. The accommodation offers a choice of thatch and brick bungalows as well as a couple of sort of Mediterranean-style apartment buildings. All of them were spotless when we visited, and very prettily set... Read our full review of Mary Beach Bungalows.

Giving Tamu more than a run for its money style-wise, Ren is an impressive resort that offers sea views from almost every room thanks to some nifty architectural turns. Wrapped around a long, emerald green pool, the hotel offers a range of options all done out in a very contemporary style that is anything but alienating. The stronger impulse may in fact be to never want to leave. Star features... Read our full review of Ren Resort.

The bar was lifted, and lifted high, when Tamu opened its doors: a gorgeous, glamorous location that melds a laid-back beach vibe with the luxury of a high-end hotel.
Welcome to Tamu.
If you’re like most guests you’ll enter the hotel from the rear and encounter an elegant pool surrounded by a beautifully crafted wooden deck scattered with lounge chairs and umbrellas. Most of the rooms are... Read our full review of Tamu Eat & Sleep Otres.

Down the quiet end of Otres, along side Tamu and Ren Resort, the Secret Garden offers a more traditional setting, with individual brick-built bungalows set among lush, green gardens. The outdoor theme continues in the bungalows with an outdoor “jungle shower”, all the better to make the most of the fresh, sea air. As a testament to their popularity, we were only able to see one of the five... Read our full review of The Secret Garden.

One of the very few backpacker places left on Otres 2, Footprints has a 22-bed open-air dorm on the first floor, all the better to catch those sea breezes, as well as private rooms and bungalows. The main building holds a big TV room with loads of benches and chairs scattered around, and then at the back the garden, some rooms and a small gym with kick bags and weights. A Muay Thai trainer holds... Read our full review of Footprints.

Otres riverside

A little enclave tucked in behind Otres Village, Otres Riverside is so laid-back it makes Otres beach look positively frenetic. As concerns grow that many of the beachside businesses may be shut down by authorities, development in this area is growing as many seek to ensure their Plan B is in place, just in case.

Quirky defines everything about this delightful spot. The owner, the eponymous Mama Clare, is ever-present taking care of her guests and, one suspects, half the neighbourhood. She has built up a small retreat with open-fronted treehouses that look right out on to the river outside. The fronts are screened with clear plastic so the view, especially of the sunrise, is uninterrupted even when the... Read our full review of Mama Clare's.

Wildside Villas Otres is a beautifully designed complex with a series of two-storey brick and thatch buildings connected by overhead walkways. Each one houses a small bedroom on the top floor with private bathroom underneath. The air-con rooms are simple and very small, but attractively finished with painted four-poster beds, side tables and colourful mosquito nets. The walkways between the rooms... Read our full review of Wildside Villas Otres.

We were only able to see one dorm room at Hacienda as everything else was fully booked, but it was notable how the very chilled out guests hanging around in the bar looked more than happy with life. They may even have been the beneficiaries of the free dorm bed given in one of the dorms after the first night. The dorm we saw was a little small and dark, pokey even, but you get a strong feeling... Read our full review of Hacienda.

Sokha Beach

Up a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it dirt road at the bottom of the hill on 2 Thnou Street, this boutique resort has been built in two stages, with some lovely bungalows stretching between the road and the beach, and a string of connected concrete rooms above the road. The bungalows are very tasteful and boast spacious verandas with gorgeous views, and are set in lush gardens. The hacienda-style rooms... Read our full review of Malibu Bungalows.

This sprawling resort was the first five-star option available in Sihanoukville. Its style is definitely oriented more towards the Asian market, with a rather soulless and ostentatious lobby not really fashionable by Western resort standards. The staff are lovely and helpful though. The gardens have come into themselves and are lush and tropical, and the enormous pool has a slightly exposed feel,... Read our full review of Sokha Beach Resort.

The road to Pagoda Rocks is stunning as you sweep down and around a working pagoda with trees flanking either side, monkeys abounding, monks proceeding and children running amok while their mothers watch from nearby food stalls and dingy wooden houses.
As you come to the top of a short steep hill, you take a sharp right and swoop down a precipitous drive that takes you to a hotel that does not... Read our full review of Pagoda Rocks Boutique Resort.

A little out of the way with no surrounding attractions, but all the quieter for that compared to almost anywhere in Sihanoukville, Don Bosco Hotel is a hospitality training school providing vocational training to hundreds of disadvantaged young Cambodians. It is a full service hotel, with very comfortable, clean and modern rooms with all of the amenities that you would expect in any other... Read our full review of Don Bosco Hotel School.

For something a little bit different, Fitness Resort is a small distance out of town, but offers a huge range of options for sports and fitness enthusiasts. A group of bamboo chalets built to a very high standard are generously spaced apart in blooming, green gardens, while large rooms in the main building are available for the more budget-conscious.
Garden chalets.
You could comfortably live... Read our full review of Fitness Resort.

When the bus station in downtown Sihanoukville was knocked down to make way for a commercial complex, many of the guesthouses in the surrounding area fell on hard times. Some closed and others changed hands, but one weathered the storm: The Small Hotel.
Step inside.
The Small Hotel can’t give credit to its location for its survival. It’s not on a main road and it doesn’t sport ocean... Read our full review of The Small Hotel.

The renovated Independence is strikingly situated on the bluff above Independence Beach and is a sight to behold. Much of the original architecture was maintained throughout construction giving the place a retro feel while still maintaining an air of elegance. The distinguished lobby is open and bright and suggests a tranquillity that the hotel as a whole encapsulates. Rooms are lovely and... Read our full review of The Independence Hotel.

Ream National Park

A jungle-hideaway with no one else to be seen; a chance to escape from the crowds or just your busy life; a place so chilled out, you might forget to leave. These are all Monkey Maya, and there’s more. A wooden and thatch retreat from the world on the edge of Ream National Park, with secluded beaches, an abundance of nature and the chance to truly unwind and switch off, Monkey Maya is just an... Read our full review of Monkey Maya.